Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas was forced to skip a scheduled stop in Costa Maya because of reported damage to the cruise pier.
Grandeur was expected to arrive in Costa Maya, Mexico, around 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 22. However, passengers were informed ahead of time that the visit would have to be canceled.
"Grandeur of the Seas port stop at Costa Maya cancelled...due to damaged pier from today," shared Md Tag Service Agent on X.
A letter was later delivered to impacted passengers explaining the last-minute change and shore excursion refund options.
"We hope you're enjoying your time onboard the beautiful Grandeur of the Seas! As we continue our voyage, we wanted to inform you about a change to our itinerary," the letter begins.
"Due to damage at the pier in Costa Maya, Mexico, we'll have to skip our visit and enjoy a [sea day] instead. We're terribly sorry for the last-minute change...We thank you for your understanding and look forward to the remainder of our time together!"
All pre-paid shore excursions booked through Royal Caribbean will be automatically canceled and refunded to guests' SeaPass accounts as onboard credit. Any remaining credits at the end of the cruise will be refunded to the card on file.
(Screenshot taken at 9:04 a.m. EST on Jan. 22. Credit: Cruise Mapper)
Cruise Mapper confirms that Grandeur was unable to arrive as scheduled. Instead of showing the Vision Class ship in Mexico, the popular tracking website shows the vessel sailing north along the Yucatán Peninsula.
Although Grandeur wasn't able to safely dock in Costa Maya, three other cruise ships — including Harmony of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, and TUI's Mein Schiff 1 — were still able to call at the port on Jan. 22.
This seems to indicate that the damage was limited to a single cruise pier area in Costa Maya. At the time of publication, it's unclear how long repairs might take or whether future Royal Caribbean sailings could be affected by the damage.
Grandeur of the Seas is currently sailing a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise from Tampa, Florida.
The Vision Class ship departed on Jan. 17 and called at Cozumel, Mexico; Roatán, Honduras; and Belize City, Belize, earlier this week. She's expected to arrive back in Florida as scheduled on Jan. 24.
Norwegian Encore is also skipping Costa Maya
Norwegian Encore, a Breakaway Plus Class ship, won't be calling at Costa Maya as planned, either. In a letter delivered to guests shared in a public Facebook group, passengers were told they couldn't dock at Costa Maya because of circumstances "beyond [their] control."
However, this last-minute change is allowing passengers to make history as the first overnight cruisers to visit Great Stirrup Cay.
"[W]e're thrilled to announce an extraordinary, first-of-its-kind experience, an overnight stay at our private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay. This will mark the first overnight visit offered to Norwegian Cruise Line guests," the letter says.
(Credit: Laura Clingo/Facebook)
"This moment gives you the opportunity to be among the first guests to experience Great Stirrup Cay after dark, truly making cruise history...As the sun sets, the energy shifts to an unforgettable evening celebration, with all nighttime activities focused on the vibrant Great Life Lagoon, the all-new pool area."
Guests can freely roam the island until midnight, but they won't want to miss the Glow Party under the stars from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
The next day, passengers will have until 5:00 p.m. to enjoy the island’s beaches, pool, and other amenities.
Read more: Cruise line spends $150 million to make its private island even better
Grandeur of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's oldest cruise ship
Grandeur of the Seas entered service in December 1996. Not only is she currently the oldest operating ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet, but she is also the smallest.
Grandeur measures just 73,817 gross tons with a passenger capacity of 1,992 at double occupancy. Comparatively, Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest Icon Class ship, comes in at 248,663 gross tons and can carry 5,610 guests at double occupancy.
Grandeur of the Seas will offer Caribbean cruises from Tampa, Florida, through May 2026. Afterward, she'll move to Central and South America and embark on a series of Southern Caribbean cruises from Colón and Cartagena.
Then, beginning in April 2027, Grandeur will sail from San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a few months before moving back to Central and South America in December.
